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College Basketball Rankings 2017: Projected Week 12 Top 25

By Connor Muldowney

January 21, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Chance Comanche (21) reacts after scoring a basket against the UCLA Bruins during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
January 21, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Chance Comanche (21) reacts after scoring a basket against the UCLA Bruins during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 21, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Amile Jefferson (21) gets pumped up in the second half of their game against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Amile Jefferson (21) gets pumped up in the second half of their game against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports /
20

Purdue Boilermakers

16-4, Last Week: 21

Purdue rebounded from a tough loss against Iowa last week to record two blowout victories at home. The Boilermakers, led by Big Ten Player of the Year favorite Caleb Swanigan, took down Illinois by 23 points and then followed that up with a 25-point victory over a much-improved Penn State team. Matt Painter has to figure out a way to get more out of his guards, but Purdue should be fine moving forward. This team is one of three that has a real chance to win the Big Ten.

19

Cincinnati Bearcats

17-2, Last Week: 20

The winning streak has finally reached 10 for the Cincinnati Bearcats as they added victories over Temple and Tulane last week. Cincinnati plays in the AAC which is an advantage when it comes to overall record and winning the conference tournament, but the Bearcats’ strength of schedule is taking a hit. They’ll get a chance to improve their resume with a victory over top rival Xavier this week.

18

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

17-3, Last Week: 15

It’s not easy to go on the road in the ACC and beat top-ranked teams. Notre Dame traveled to Tallahassee in Week 11 and came out on the wrong end of a three-point defeat. The Fighting Irish proved they could play with the big boys in the conference, taking the Seminoles down to the wire, but that’s a game the Irish need to win if they’re going to take the conference. They did finish the week off with a blowout win against Syracuse and they remain atop the ACC standings.

17

Duke Blue Devils

15-4, Last Week: 18

Something seemed off in the first half against Miami. The Blue Devils hosted the Hurricanes for a Saturday afternoon bout at Cameron Indoor and Miami got off to a red-hot start, taking a 36-25 lead into the half. However, Duke went on a 20-0 run in the second half to regain the lead and never looked back, winning 70-58. Duke is just hoping to remain afloat until Coach K returns and a come-from-behind win like that against Miami can act as a major confidence boost.

16

Wisconsin Badgers

16-3, Last Week: 17

For yet another week, Wisconsin flirted with danger and nearly came out with two losses. However, the Badgers found a way to win the close ones, taking down Michigan at home, 68-64, and then Minnesota on the road in overtime, 78-76. Ethan Happ had a monster game against the Golden Gophers in an extra-frame victory, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds with six assists and five blocks. If it weren’t for him, we’d be talking about a 15-4 Badgers team.